"That Guaido failed with his clownish coup attempt does not mean that the US [and Canada] will give up on its regime change efforts. Venezuela's economy is in deep crisis. The cause is not the minor socialist attempts its government made, but the economic war the US is waging against it. The Trump administration is now joining the opposition effort to increase the number of people in Venezuela who go hungry..."

US Sanctions Are Crippling Venezuela, but the Bolivarian Revolution is not Defeated! (and vid)

Forgot to save my more in-depth comment, damn. Anyway, short form: if Trump focuses on Iran and the outcry and challenge distract him, Venezuela might be safe or escape the spotlight much like what happened with Bush Jr and Iraq (and early coup against Chavez).

"Why does the dominant media pay so much attention to Russian 'meddling' in other countries, but little to Canada's longstanding interference in the political affairs of nations thousands of kilometres from our borders?

"Here's Debbie Wasserman-Schultz with Juan Guaido's fake ambassador, who recently requested US military assistance to help his desperate boss usurp power in Venezuela. Fitting that the corporate tool who fixed DNC primaries has so much affinity for rightist coup plotters."

The contrast between our government's support for Honduras and a right wing Brazil under Balsero and their condemnation of Maduro in Venezuela is just sickening. Meanwhile Saudi Arabia is treated with kid gloves as is Israel no matter what transgressions they make.

"This neocon Ted Talk is run by the first cousin of Leopoldo Lopez, who just attempted a military overthrow of Venezuela's elected government. Oslo Freedom Forum is a prime example of the weaponization of human rights to advance the interests of oligarchy and empire."

"...While the ideological battle for Caracas was raging, I was thinking: is there anything that could still move the Western public into action? How much more can the Western public really stomach? Or can it stomach absolutely everything...?

"How corporate forces are lobbying for a coup in Venezuela and the campaign of disinformation the opposition and its US backers have waged to gin up support for sanctions and even military intervention..."

"Important discussions today in DC with Sec Pompeo about the new NAFTA, the crisis in Venezuela...Thank you for your close partnership with Canada."

CBC Radio still continues to stir the pot of how much of a humanitarian crisis is underway in Venezuela. Meanwhile, no freaking asks for crisis intervention donations from the usual frontline humanitarian workers (i.e. IRC, MSF, MCC, UN, etc).

"Associates of Venezuelan coup frontman Juan Guaido embezzled funds raised in Colombia for humanitarian aid and lavishly spent it on hotels, nightclubs and expensive clothes. This is a monumental scandal. Great work by Orlando Avendano."

"Sen Lindsey Graham (R-SC) wants the US to use military forces to intervene in Venezuela to depose the country's contested [by them] president Nicolas Maduro. His reasons: it will scare other foreign countries like North Korea and Iran to see America put 'points on the board.' 'We need points on the board. Start with your own backyard...Fix Venezuela and everybody else will know you are serious..."

"Meet the hired gun Ottawa is using to overthrow the Venezuelan government..."

ps Rabble used to run Yves Engler's columns but seems to have stopped doing so. Just as they stopped running Roger Annis. These are two excellent critical left commentators. One wonders what is going on...

"Millions of dollars raised for 'freedom and democracy' in Venezuela ended up spent in Colombia by aides of US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido and were exposed by Colombian spies in yet another blow to his cause."

'Ordinary Venezuelans talk about how the sanctions have made it increasingly difficult to access life-saving medications.'

"According to a recent report, as many as 40,000 people have probably died in Venezuela because of the US sanctions and ore than 300,000 people are estimated to be at risk because of lack of access to medicines or treatment."

Shame on the Canadian political class and its silent supporters/enablers for participating in this cruel siege warfare!

The report didn't mention that any of the actions (arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings, sexual violence and enforced disappearances) were ordered by the Maduro government. Batchlet also limited investigations to interviews to victims of the government and opposition sides (how that was determined is not described). The government admitted to over 5,000 deaths during security operations, which is alarming. However, the more violent protests become, the more likely a violent reaction occurs. Not a justification but a fact.

"As the foreign-led right wing coup-attempt in Venezuela miserably fails, Canada is tightening the screws to try to force regime change. Venezuela is not renewing visas of Canadian diplomats involved in the coup attempt, so Canada angrily closed its embassy."

"US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday, freezing 'all property and interests in property of the Government of Venezuela that are in the United States.' The move is the culmination of a series of increasingly severe sanctions and mark a new stage in the US coup operating against the Government of Nicolas Maduro. US imperialism is starving Venezuelans into submission in order to install a puppet regime under Juan Guaido to gain full control of the largest proven oil reserves on the planet..."

"The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal sits down with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas. We discuss the plots to kill him, US sanctions on food distribution, corruption allegations and the corporate media's industrial grade demonization campaign against hinm and his elected government."

Canada's FM Freeland makes herself useful to Trump and Bolton in this ongoing imperialist project in whatever ways she can. As always some Canadian 'progressives' also cheer it on.

"On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Jon Kiriakou are joined by Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com . President Trump yesterday issued an executive order freezing all Venezuelan assets in the US and prohibiting transactions with the country."

Canada and especially its hawkish foreign minister Chrystia Freeland play an outsize role in this sanction-siege and collective punishment of the Venezuelan people. Alarming and shameful collaboration/complicity by Canada.

I love that Venezuela is fighting back and putting forth an official declaration of being subject to illegal hostility before the UN Security Council. The US actions are aggresive acts of war. I am so ashamed of Canada being party to these hostile actions. Chrystia Freeland has to go - she is a complete US war machine/"humanitarian intervention" toady.

I love that Venezuela is fighting back and putting forth an official declaration of being subject to illegal hostility before the UN Security Council. The US actions are aggresive acts of war. I am so ashamed of Canada being party to these hostile actions. Chrystia Freeland has to go - she is a complete US war machine/"humanitarian intervention" toady.

She's not a toady but rather a true believer who very likely has worked for one of the US agencies for many years.

But Ms. Taraciuk expressed disappointment that the report stops short of urging the United Nations to set up a commission of inquiry. It calls instead for the government to set up an independent investigation, with some unspecified international participation.

“You cannot ask Venezuelan courts, which have no independence, to investigate the executive,” she said.

Must mean that Bachelet is too respectful of national sovereignty - a mistake the U.S. and Human Rights Watch would never make.

"Venezuela calls on the UN to stop this serious aggression by Donald Trump's gov't against our country, which constitutes a massive violation of the human rights of the entire Venezuelan people, by attempting to impede their right to food..."

"It is a disgrace that the US directly blocks the delivery of food to Venezuela. This is like the Nazi blockade of Leningrad."

"Venezuela FM Jorge Arreaza asked his counterparts in the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization to meet and discuss unprecedented fires currently ravaging the rainforest. Yet [Freeland's] Lima Group nations refused for what he says are 'ideological reasons."

"Yesterday Venezuela Solidarity Coalition activists confronted Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau. When it was pointed out to Morneau that Justin Trudeau's government supports many human rights abusers, all he could say was 'we disagree.'

Trudeau and Freeland are freaking hypocrites and a danger to the stability of South America and the protection of the Amazaon. At least the 24-7 PR pressure circus on Venezuela to support the elite usurper, Juan Guaidó, has been put on the back burner.

Trudeau and Freeland are freaking hypocrites and a danger to the stability of South America and the protection of the Amazaon. At least the 24-7 PR pressure circus on Venezuela to support the elite usurper, Juan Guaidó, has been put on the back burner.

That is likely because he is seen as a joke by most people in Venezuela, even people who didn't vote for Maduro.

Even more so since he recently announced, he will 'boycott' the upcoming 2020 legislative elections, but plans to keep his self-claimed title of 'acting president' even after his one-year term as leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly ends in the new year.

"Results of the 2,463 person phone survey, conducted between July 30-31, show that 35.7 per cent of respondents selected the Liberals' Trudeau as the best fit to represent Canada internationally, with Scheer not to far behind at 31 per cent and 12.7 per cent not sure. The NDP's Jagmeet Singh was the next popular selection at 6.1 per cent..."

"In the meeting with Canada's Foreign Minister Freeland I expressed that tightening of US coercive measures vs Venezuela damages its people and are contrary to International Law and the dialogue process. I reiterated our invariable solidarity with President Nicolas Maduro."

Washington's Canadian enforcer and thug, Chrystia Freeland. Shameful and disgusting.

"This July 29, a US court ruled in favor of the Canadian mining firm Crystallex, sparking fears CITGO could soon be liquidated to pay back interested parties. CITGO's survival fell into limbo on July 29, when a US Federal Appeals Court upheld a ruling declaring that Crystallex, a Canadian gold mining firm could seize $1.4 billion worth of the refinery's shares..."

"This has been the third visit to Havana by Chrystia Freeland this year. Her last visit was preceded by a meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Ottawa last August 22. Freeland received Pompeo with lots of praise for him and the wars that Canada has fought alongside the US. Is it possible that Freeland was bringing the metaphorical carrot (or stick) on behalf of Pompeo...?